“Carrick is the oldest outfield player in United's squad, but his role does not rely on pace or covering a lot of ground,” Savage told BBC Sport while explaining why the 33-year-old should be given a new contract.

“He is still one of their best midfielders - great on the ball and a calming influence when he plays. Worth another year.”

Carrick is probably one of the most underrated players in the Premier League and his important to United has often been undermined.

This season the Englishman has gradually established himself as a key player in Louis van Gaal’s team after recovering from injuries.

The former Tottenham Hotspur star has featured in 12 Premier League appearances so far this season, creating four chances, having a pass accuracy of 90%, and winning 56% of the duels in the process.

Although, as Savage points out, Carrick does not rely on pace, United already have a replacement for (or successor to) Carrick in Daley Blind, who joined the Manchester outfit from Ajax in the summer transfer window.

One wonders if Carrick would have played as much as he has done so far if Blind were not injured or Van Gaal had options in defence.

But perhaps the former West Ham United star’s versatility could convince Van Gaal to offer him a new contract.

There have been occasions when Carrick has played as a centre-back this season and has done quite well in that role.

Subhankar Mondal

A football journalist based in Wakefield, Subhankar Mondal has previously worked for Goal.com International and Skysports.com, and has had his sports articles published in The Guardian and The Observer. He has also been on the BBC in the past and his name once found its way to the pages of the World Soccer magazine. He was recently cited in a major Louis van Gaal biography.